Page 33 of Fracture

“I guess so. She went to bed a couple of hours ago.”

Levi sinks into a chair, stretching his legs out in front of him. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“How did you know you’re bi?”

I stare at him for a moment, the cigarette smoldering in my hand. “What do you mean?”

He takes another drag, shrugging, his eyes avoiding mine. “I mean, how do you know something like that?”

“How do you know you’re straight?”

His eyes flash to mine with alarm. “What?”

“You’re straight, so how do you know that? Because you just are.” I can’t help but laugh a little. “You’re almost 30, man. Like, you gotta know this shit, right?”

He leans forward, elbows on his knees, and I can’t believe it, but I think he’s nervous. Levi Fenton is struggling to find the words to describe what he’s feeling. And I hate myself for the sharp uptick in my heart rate, as I wonder if he’s asking me this because of me.

“Where is this coming from?” I ask him slowly.

“I never told you, but there was a guy in prison, Conrad. Remember him?”

“Sure.”

“He and I, we… I mean, I… I fucked him. Twice.”

I am not prepared for the searing jealousy that runs through me at his confession. “Oh. Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

“Because I told myself that it was just frustration and curiosity, you know, it didn’t mean anything.” He runs a hand over his mouth with a sigh. “And I told myself that it didn’t count if you’re not the one taking it, like it’s somehow… less gay.”

A laugh bursts from my lips, and Levi’s dark gaze falls on my face. “Sorry, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to laugh. But- less gay? Seriously?”

Levi leans back in his chair and runs a hand over his face. “I didn’t grow up in a house where this stuff got talked about.”

I grunt out a chuckle. “Me neither. You think my catholic grandfather ever took me to Pride?”

“So how did youknow?” Levi asks, throwing his hands up.

“Because I can look at a man, and think he’s hot. Because I can look at a woman, and think she’s hot. How the fuck else do you think this works?”

“So you like having your cock sucked by a man?” Levi sounds almost incredulous.

“Sure.”

“More than with a woman?”

I stamp out my cigarette and narrow my eyes at him. “No, not more than a woman. One is not better than the other, it just comes down to the person.”

“I mean, have you… Have you done everything with a man? That you’ve done with a woman?”

“Yes.”

He gets more flustered, his cheeks turning bright crimson. “So you’ve had anal sex with a man?”

“Yes.”

He bites his lip, shaking his head. “Did you… Were you the one taking it or-”

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